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Why I Pay it Forward: Motivations and Basic Psychological Needs of Young Adult Peer Educators

McFarlane, Julie (2016-03)

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2016

Thesis

ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Peer educators, particularly those in developing countries, are the primary resource used to deliver health promotion messages to their peers in many resource constrained communities and are used extensively as behaviour change agents in the battle against HIV/AIDS. These peer educators work mostly within contexts of overwhelming social challenges which ostensibly would place a strain on their mental health. Although extensive studies report the relative efficacy of peer education programmes, there is little evidence of the peer educators’ “voice” or indication of the benefit of peer education work for the peer educators themselves.
Given the significant role played by peer educators in intervention programmes, this study explored what motivates individuals to become peer educators and what benefits accrue from the experience. This study used qualitative inquiry to examine a case study of peer educators in a particular higher education context. The aim of this study was to examine the subjective well-being of peer educators through the lens of Self Determination Theory (SDT). This was accomplished by identifying intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness in their narratives. Well-being of the participants was further ascribed within the broader fields of positive psychology, prosocial and peer education literature. Data, obtained from an initial pilot study with 4 participants and 24 subsequent individual interviews, were used to explore the experiences of peer educators participating in a specific peer education programme presented at the Tertiary School in Business Administration (TSiBA).
Findings of the study revealed that indication of well-being was clearly identifiable in terms of SDT expressions, and further, compelling evidence of satisfaction or thwarting of basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness was recorded. Analysis further supported the key aims of peer education praxis: learning, sharing and caring, and added data to prosocial and community engagement literature.
The overarching finding of this study was that peer education work for the participants was predominantly intrinsically motivated and conducive to satisfaction of the basic psychological needs of the educator. Specifically, findings recorded significant improvements in familial relationships, meaningful awareness and understanding of the needs of others, self-initiated learning skills and a confidence and increased self-esteem through gaining competence. All of these in turn addressed subjective well-being and led to an improvement in the psycho-social functioning of the peer educators and an awakening of critical consciousness in these young adults.